The former owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates has come out as gay in the New York Times, telling the paper that “homophobic language during his days in baseball” convinced “him that keeping his sexual orientation hidden was best.” “I’ve got a birthday coming up where I’m turning old,” Kevin McClatchy, who owned the Pirates from 1996 to 2007, says. “I’ve spent 30 years — or whatever the number is specifically — not talking about my personal life, lying about my personal life… There’s no way I want to go into the rest of my existence and ever have to hide my personal life again.” McClatchy will turn 50 in January. No active player in baseball, or in the principal leagues of football, basketball or hockey has come out as gay.

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